Ship torpedo protector



'June 8, 1943. L, KOLMAN SHIP TORPEDO PROTECTOR Filed Dec. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w N v N\ i \Q E X m\ QM nljaal' tizflirmn amyz mm ATTORNEYS June 8, 1943. KOLMAN 7 2,321,213

SHIP TORPEDO PROTECTOR Filed Dec. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @zalslialmm IN 1 'EN OR.

ATTORNEYS v pensive to manufacture, get out of order.

Patented June 8, 1943 UNITED STTES SHIP 'ronrnno PROTECTOR Louis Kolman, Brookline, Pa.

Application December 15, 1941, Serial No. 423,100

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a ship torpedo protector and has for an object to provide a protector having an outer protective wall of armor plate supported at the water line of the ship by a plurality of pontoons and held in spaced relation to the sides of the ship by a folding framework which is mounted for vertical movement on the side of the ship to compensate for tides and the depth to which the ship sinks in the water by reason of its cargo, and also mounted for movement toward and away from the ship to economize space when the ship is docked for loading, the latter movement being limited by steel cables.

A further object is to provide a protector of this type having an inner wall spaced from the outer wall and a plurality of helical springs interposed between the walls to absorb shock of impact of a torpedo.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will be inexand which will not easily With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel detailsof construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described andclaimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a ship showing a protector constructed in accordance with the invention disposed outwardly of one side of the ship.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the ship and protector shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the protector taken approximately on the line 33 of Figure 1, a fragmentary portion of the ship being shown in rear elevation.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the device which is not adjustable toward or away from the ship but is adjustable vertically along the side of the ship.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, I!) designates the hull of a ship to which the torpedo protector is applied. The ship torpedo protector includes an outer protective wall II formed of armor plate and supported in vertical partly submerged condition outwardly from the side of the hull by pontoons I2 formed integral withan inner wall I3 of substantially the length and height of the outer wall. A plurality of helical springs I 3 are sleeved on bolts I5 whichpass loosely through openings in both walls and are then headed up, the springs yielding to absorb shock of an impact of a torpedo against the outer protector wall II. The outer protective wall is provided with a row-of posts IE on the upper edge adapted to trap a torpedo tending to move over the wall. Wherever the bolts I5 pass through the pontoons I2 guide sleeves I'I are formed integral with the pontoons, see Figure 3, and loosely receive the bolts.

The outer protective wall II is held in spaced relation to the respective side of the ship by a folding frame-work designated in general by the numeral I8. A shown in Figure 1' the framework comprises a pair of levers I9 arranged in a common plane on each side of a horizontal axis passing through the walls at a point centrally between the front and rear ends of the walls. Each.

pair of levers are pivotally connected together at their confronting ends as shown at 20 and a helical spring 2I is pivotally connected at the ends to these pivots of the levers and tends to constantly draw the pivots toward said axis to spread the levers for maintaining the protective wall at a predetermined distance from the side of the hull. The outer end of one of the levers of each pair is pivotally connected as shown at 22 to a plate 23 carried by a rubber bumper 24 which is secured to one of the before mentioned bolts I5 which passes through the central pontoons of the series of pontoons. The inner end of one lever of each pair is pivotally connected as shown at 25 to a plate 26, see Figure 3, which is mounted for vertical movement as well as rocking movement on the side of the hull as will now be described.

A shaft 27 is formed integral with the plate 28,

see Figure 3, and is secured to the center mem-' ber 28 of a ball bearing assembly designated in general by the numeral 29, the outer members 30 of which are clamped together and to-the inner member by plates 3| and 32 disposed respectively ball bearing assembly may move vertically on the guide flanges to correspond with similar movement of the respective protective wall due to changes of water level relatively to the ship caused by tides or weight of cargo. At the same time the protective wall may rotate on the shaft 21 as an exis of rotation to conform to wave movements in the water and prevent breakage of the apparatus.

A housing 31 is secured to the hull of the ship and extends over the guide flanges to protect the ball bearing assembly and flanges from injury by contact with extraneous material in the hull.

The protective wall may be also drawn toward the side of the hull against the tension of the spring 2| to economize space when the ship is in dock and being loaded or unloaded, and for this purpose a pair of steel cables 38 is connected to the front and rear portions of the inner wall 23 and is connected at their upper ends to respective catheads 39 on the deck of the ship, these cathead being rotated in any preferred manner to wind up or pay off the cables.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figure 4 which is permanently mounted at a fixed lateral distance from the side of the hull .and

this form of the invention is identical in all parts with the above described form of the invention with the exception that the folding framework I8 is dispensed with and the plate 23 is carried by the outermost member 40 of the above described ball bearing assembly. Since the remaining parts are identical with the structure previously described like reference numerals have been applied.

the vertically movable member, a frame carried by the pivot of said vertically movable member,

levers pivotally connected at their inner ends ,to

said plate, levers pivotally connected at their inner .ends to the outer ends of the first-mentioned levers and pivotally connected at their outer ends to .the protective armor plate, and :a

helical spring connected at its end to the pivots of the levers and tending constantly to extend the armor plate. 4

2. A ship torpedo protector in combination with a ship hull, of a protective wall of armor plate, pontoons supporting the protective wall, a lateral shaft carried by the hull for supporting the protective wall to allow the oscillation thereof, means for allowing the vertical movement of the shaft on the hull.

3. A ship torpedo protector in combination with a ship hull, of a protective wall of armor plate, pontoons supporting the protective wall, a lateral shaft carried by the hull for supporting the protective wall to allow the oscillation thereof, means for allowing the vertical movement of the shaft on the hull, and means for moving the protective wall towards and away from the side of the hull.

4. A ship torpedo protector in combination with a ship hull, of a protective Wall of armor plate, pontoons supporting the protective wall, a plate carried by the side of the hull and having an up and down movement, a lateral shaft car- .ried by the said plate for supportingthe protective wall, said wall having an oscillating movement in respect to the side of the hull, and means for moving the protective wall towards .and away from the side of the hull.

5. A ship torpedo protector in combination with a ship hull, of a protective wall of armor plate, pontoons supporting the protective wall, a plate vertically movable in the outer face of the hull, a lateral shaft rotatably supported within said plate, a plate spaced from the hull and connected to the protective wall, pairs of levers connected together at their inner ends and pivotally connected at ther outer ends to the plate carried by the protective wall and their inner ends pivotally connected to the vertically movable plate, and means for raising and lowering the protective wall.

6. A ship torpedo protector in combination with a ship hull, of an outer protective wall of armor plate, an inner wall spaced from the outer wall, yielding means securing the outer wall to .the inner Wall, pontoons connected .to one of the walls and supporting both walls, a vertically movable plate in the outer face of the hull, a lateral shaft rotatably supported by the plate, toggle levers pivotally connecting the vertically movable plate and the inner wall, and means for raising and lowering the same. e

LOUIS KOLMAN. 

